February Luncheon 2014

Guest Speaker

DAVID DEIN

Former vice-Chairman of Arsenal Football Club and the Football Association

Back in February 2014 we were treated to a presentation by David Dein, former Vice-Chairman of Arsenal Football Club and the Football Association.

He talked about the challenges in creating the Premiership back in 1992, the current day challenges of motivating millionaires and who could forget the observation clip with the moonwalking bear...?!

Lessons learned in over twenty years at top level management in the football industry

David is the former vice-chairman of both Arsenal Football Club and the Football Association.

He was also the chairman of the G-14 group of European football clubs between October 2006 and May 2007 and in 2010 he was the President of the England World Cup bid for the 2018 finals. At Arsenal, he was responsible for football matters taking an active role in the transfer of players and contract negotiations where he was able to use his extensive network of football contacts. Dein was behind the appointment of the then little known Arsène Wenger to the manager’s job in 1996.

In 1986 Dein was voted onto the board of the Football League Management Committee and subsequently achieved a place on the FA Council. He was also a major force in the inception of the FA Premier League in 1992.

He eventually rose to the position of vice-chairman of the FA in 2000, a post he held until 2004 when it was scrapped after restructuring. He was subsequently re-elected to the FA Board as an FA Premier League representative.

Dein also helped obtain Arsenal’s entry into the G-14 group of major European football clubs in 2002, and became chairman of the G-14 in October 2006. A keen promoter of women’s football, he was also President of Arsenal Ladies Football Club, the most successful English women’s football team, while Arsenal vice-chairman.